Here are the answers to common questions to help you get to know more about relying on heating oil to keep your Michigan home warm.
Yes. Advancements in both fuel quality and heating equipment have made that possible. Your Michigan heating oil company may deliver Bioheat® fuel. This is a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil combined with premium biodiesel made from renewable resources such as animal fats, recycled restaurant cooking oils and plant oils.
As ultra-low sulfur Bioheat fuel becomes more widespread in the future, home heating oil will move closer to becoming a carbon-neutral fuel.
The oilheat industry has already surpassed its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 15% by 2023. They’ve achieved a nearly 26% reduction in GHG due to a combination of energy efficiency improvements and increased use of renewable Bioheat fuel.
No. Most major heating system manufacturers accept Bioheat fuel as covered under their warranties for use, and you won’t need to make any changes to your furnace, boiler, or oil storage tank to use it. Performance standards for Bioheat fuel have been approved by ASTM International, an organization that sets industry standards for fuels and lubricants.
Absolutely. First, heating oil cannot burn in its liquid state. Before combustion can even occur, heating oil must first be vaporized into a finer mist by your oil burner at temperatures above 140°.
Second, the fuel you have stored in your heating oil storage tank is very safe because it can’t explode. In fact, if you were to drop a lit match into a bucket of heating oil, the flame would go out, just as if you dropped the match into water.
Third, the advent of Bioheat® fuel has made home heating oil even safer. That’s because Bioheat fuel has a higher flash point, also known as ignition temperature. It’s just one more thing that homeowners who use Bioheat fuel can feel good about.
Yes. Technology has brought great improvements in heating oil equipment efficiency, which has reduced annual fuel consumption by as much as 40%. Naturally, this has saved heating oil consumers an enormous amount of money on fuel.
Plus, Bioheat fuel is a cleaner burning fuel than conventional heating oil, while continuing to keep your home warm and comfortable.
Bioheat fuel leaves fewer deposits on your system’s internal parts. That helps to reduce wear and tear, meaning you will likely have fewer breakdowns and a longer life expectancy for your heating oil boiler or heating oil furnace than compared to operating it with traditional heating oil.
As far as modern heating oil equipment like heating oil boilers and heating oil furnaces, new systems now have efficiency ratings as high as 95%. This provides homes with more warmth for less fuel.
Modern heating oil systems are also much smaller than older ones. The average boilers and furnaces today are compact yet powerful, and similar in size to a three-drawer filing cabinet.
This is why it pays to learn as much as you can about today’s high-tech heating solutions—and your heating oil equipment service company can help you with all the latest information on new, high-efficiency heating oil furnaces and boilers. They can also tell you about a heating oil equipment rebate program offered by the Michigan Petroleum Association/Michigan Association of Convenience Stores (MPAMACS), with the support of the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA).
Reach out to your Michigan heating oil service company to learn more about new, high-efficiency heating oil systems.
